1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved way of turning, or pivoting, tracked vehicles and machinery. This is of interest to, but not restricted to, track drive construction equipment, especially track driven trenching, ditching and excavating machinery.
2. Background Information
Vehicles and machines that use tracks instead of wheels, are popular for operating off-highway and cross country. Such equipment is often involved in construction activities. Such equipment includes, but is not restricted to ditching, trenching, and excavating equipment. Tracks are especially useful on terrain that is not a road surface. Tracks permit the distribution of a vehicle or machine weight across a broader surface area of the ground as opposed to wheels. This has advantages. For example, less compaction damage occurs to the soil. This is especially important to farmers. Also, a tracked vehicle is more able to negotiate rough terrain than is a wheeled vehicle. In ditching and trenching operations on agricultural land, a problem in existing tracked machinery is that ground damage occurs as existing tracked vehicles are negotiating turns. The tracks scour the earth, inflicting the ground damage. This is undesirable, but no one seems to have found a practical answer to date. Also, the friction between tracks and ground during turning or pivoting of tracked vehicles or machines imposes wear and tear on undercarriage componentry, including the tracks, of the tracked vehicles or machinery. Also, more horsepower is required for turns and pivots, which increases noise and burns more fuel, increasing atmospheric pollution levels.
As will be seen in the subsequent description, these and other shortcomings of the prior art are overcome by the preferred embodiments of the present invention.